Hurley talking next year and portal

[Mr. French]

That's what I've been trying to tell people. We're absolutely loaded and we should be #1 preseason when AK announces he's coming back.

Been with you.

 

[superjohn]

Why do you want to be #1 so bad. Better to keep the pressure off. Hurley says this might be our most talented team, but definitely not the most experienced or #1#1.

I don't care about being #1 but we should be #1 when AK announces he's returning. Hurley didn't say anything about how they shouldn't be ranked #1 going into next year. He said we don't need to be as good as this past season to win it all again. Why have you not recognized that this coach and this program embraces being #1, embraces going back to back, and embraces their goal for a three-peat.

 

[Drame]

This is very bullish for Karaban returning. I don't think Karaban is like Andre Jackson, where Jackson had to strike while the iron was hot and coming back was unlikely to help him and might have even hurt him.

I think there's very little downside for Karaban coming back, only the opportunity cost of missing out on a year of guaranteed NBA earnings, hence "1st round or bust."

Honestly if Jackson was on this team, we would have had an even better season... undefeated...? He would have been an all American and drafted high in the first round.

 

[Drame]

I don't care about being #1 but we should be #1 when AK announces he's returning. Hurley didn't say anything about how they shouldn't be ranked #1 going into next year. He said we don't need to be as good as this past season to win it all again. Why have you not recognized that this coach and this program embraces being #1, embraces going back to back, and embraces their goal for a three-peat.

You're putting words in my mouth. Of course we embrace everything that we are. We are the #1 program. But its silly to care about who the #1 team is right now when every team in America will be completely different in November. Our team has a lot of work to do. We might return ONE starter. I want to see them earn that #1 ranking

 

[Ricker]

I think that interview was the most comprehensive I have heard from Dan. He gave insight into nearly every 2024-2025 topic we have discussed on the Boneyard. Alex & contingency plans, player development, Diarra's role, Aiden ability to play point, alluded to being able to play big at the guard position if desired, recruiting the 13th scholly only if a developmental player surfaced, expectations that Liam will likely have a Castle impact with same pedigree and Monteverde, etc. It is clear Ross & Abraham are not afterthoughts in terms of the roster next year, Ball & Stewart he expects a ton from.... He addressed re-recruiting the families as well as the players. The center position competition was addressed. The staff staying together. The staff worked to keep players on board. Singare expectations for were not addressed. I'd love to hear what they are seeing in him, whether we should expect a leap from him, or whether he is fighting for a spot but is prepared to have another development year. He lumped Nowell into a contributing statement without expounding on expectations for him.

As you would expect, nearly all his commentary is qualified based on what the kids will actually show through the preseason. Reading between the lines, I think he expects Alex to be back. About a half dozen times he mentioned 4 guys in the nba draft, or replacing 4 starters, and then each time he seemed to catch himself and add, or maybe 5. If he doesn't come back I think he was clear they would look to bring in a '4', but it seemed more of as an insurance piece rather than a surefire starter, because he believes the guys he has can do it.

 

[superjohn]

You're putting words in my mouth. Of course we embrace everything that we are. We are the #1 program. But its silly to care about who the #1 team is right now when every team in America will be completely different in November. Our team has a lot of work to do. We might return ONE starter. I want to see them earn that #1 ranking

Every team has a lot of work to do and someone has to be ranked #1 to start the season, I think it should be us when AK announces he's coming back.

You said it's better to keep the pressure off, I think that's ridiculous. This program thrives on lofty expectations.

 

[Njalum1422]

I think that interview was the most comprehensive I have heard from Dan. He gave insight into nearly every 2024-2025 topic we have discussed on the Boneyard. Alex & contingency plans, player development, Diarra's role, Aiden ability to play point, alluded to being able to play big at the guard position if desired, recruiting the 13th scholly only if a developmental player surfaced, expectations that Liam will likely have a Castle impact with same pedigree and Monteverde, etc. It is clear Ross & Abraham are not afterthoughts in terms of the roster next year, Ball & Stewart he expects a ton from.... He addressed re-recruiting the families as well as the players. The center position competition was addressed. The staff staying together. The staff worked to keep players on board. Singare expectations for were not addressed. I'd love to hear what they are seeing in him, whether we should expect a leap from him, or whether he is fighting for a spot but is prepared to have another development year. He lumped Nowell into a contributing statement without expounding on expectations for him.

As you would expect, nearly all his commentary is qualified based on what the kids will actually show through the preseason. Reading between the lines, I think he expects Alex to be back. About a half dozen times he mentioned 4 guys in the nba draft, or replacing 4 starters, and then each time he seemed to catch himself and add, or maybe 5. If he doesn't come back I think he was clear they would look to bring in a '4', but it seemed more of as an insurance piece rather than a surefire starter, because he believes the guys he has can do it.

To the Singare point I hope they have him sold on a Samson type plan. The playing time is there with Reed after next year with Johnson graduating.

 

[Drame]

Every team has a lot of work to do and someone has to be ranked #1 to start the season, I think it should be us when AK announces he's coming back.

You said it's better to keep the pressure off, I think that's ridiculous. This program thrives on lofty expectations.

At the end of the season #1 sure. But I dont think Hurley shares your preseason #1 sentiment. We're returning 18.2 pts. I for one would put us #3 preseason behind Houston who is returning almost everyone and Kansas who is returning 3 starters.

 

[3rdbass]

Some interesting things from this interview.

1. Sounds like D. Hurley wants to use A. Karban's scholarship on a 4 who can step in. He would use the last scholarship on a developmental guy if he finds the right guy.
2. He wants to get Ball, Stewart and Ross minutes but this seems like it might be hard if he brings back Alex or 4 who could contribute right away as it will limit minutes. This one makes #1 and getting an immediate impact player seem to contradict it.
3.He is hoping for Diarra to make a big step up from 6th man to take a bigger role. Sounds like he is hoping he can be a PG in the Newton and Cam mold.
4.Definitely knocks down the rumors we heard that Aidan was looking for more money to come to UConn as he was adamant he isn't looking for NIL chasers.

 

[3rdbass]

To the Singare point I hope they have him sold on a Samson type plan. The playing time is there with Reed after next year with Johnson graduating.

If Singare comes back stronger he can play those minutes at Center when both bigs are in foul trouble and allow us not to move a PF into that position which we had to do out of necessity mostly last year.

 

[That Guy]

Hopefully these two will be ready for some minutes next season

 

[bigknight3]

This is very bullish for Karaban returning. I don't think Karaban is like Andre Jackson, where Jackson had to strike while the iron was hot and coming back was unlikely to help him and might have even hurt him.

I think there's very little downside for Karaban coming back, only the opportunity cost of missing out on a year of guaranteed NBA earnings, hence "1st round or bust."

Top of second round picks 31-40ish also get guaranteed contacts too. This has been commented on and posted for some time now. Not as cut and dry as it used to be.

 

[Chin Diesel]

That's not really an issue for Alex though. He's not going to be a lottery pick or even a guaranteed first rounder so the depth of the draft class is immaterial. He can definitely put himself in a much better position to catch on with a team next year if he blows up a bit next season.

Edit: should have read the whole thread. What somebody said above.

Correct.

Alex's long-term financial stability for basketball is overseas.

There is such a low possibility he ever gets drafted higg enough where his salary, roster spot and tradeability make him financially secure in the NBA.

He can easily play in top European leagues and make a very good living playing basketball if that is his goal.

One more year at UConn vs end of the bench in NBA, or G-league, or 2-way contract, or Europe is no longer a major financial difference.

 

[UConnSwag11]

"top to bottom" is the key part of the sentence, 1-5 we are probably not as good, but 6-12 we are better. It will be a very deep team.

Yeah, the depth makes it feel more like ‘23

 

[dennismenace]

That's what I've been trying to tell people. We're absolutely loaded and we should be #1 preseason when AK announces he's coming back.

If Dan Hurley said that we can expect a deeper rotation and more running (for us and opponent LOL) and pressure. Staff sessions on this would be very interesting so we will have to wait and see what gets unveiled. Truly believe they are going to be exciting but also have some growing pains with youth and changes. It's May 3 and I can't wait already!

 

[auror]

Last year we had 8 former top 100 guys (4 were freshmen) plus 5th years Spencer and Newton. This year we have 10(!) former top 100 guys (3 freshmen) plus 2x All-Conference WCC Jr Mahaney. The guys that end up 6th-11th on this roster are going to be GOOD. The season Talking Heads narrative is that UConn's bench will be better than a lot of teams starting lineup.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

It’s going to have two top 10 picks? Lol

Right because the mark of a good college roster is nba talent. If that were the case Dook, Ky, Kansas would win every year. With AK, we are deep and talented and incredibly versatile. P
That plus, I put a great deal of stock on what Dan Hurley thinks.

 

[NJHoops]

I know it‘s kind of stressful when Dan brings up players possibly transferring and hearing from/being influenced by other schools during the season. He references “if he stays with us” and that kind of stuff, but I think it’s a good approach. Everyone knows what’s happening, why not be transparent with your guys and call it out and then move on? Re-recruiting is a year-long thing now. This staff is really good at communicating their player development approach to their guys, and the results speak for themselves.

Danny used to be kind of devastated when players transferred, even if they weren’t that good. He saw it as a failure of the program or the environment they created that someone would want to leave. He adjusted to the normalization of mass transfers and works the system as good as anyone now. If someone chooses to move on, like Nahiem, the response is love ya, appreciate your contribution, now we’re going to get someone else good.

 

[Ricker]

In the press interview, Dan mentioned Nahiem reached out to him at the final four to offer his support. I liked that their relationship was still positive despite the transfer. My wife thought she saw him still with Nika in the videos with Nika off to Seattle. (talk about a tear jerking goodbye with Geno - "you changed my life" - I needed tissue)

 

[BRS24]

Not sure if this has been shared. Some good Dan Hurley quotes on the who & why of portal recruits.

How Dan Hurley used transfer portal to reload UConn men's basketball after NCAA title: 'Strategic'

The UConn men's basktball team added key transfers, retained key players and added three freshmen as Dan Hurley chases an NCAA three-peat.

www.ctinsider.com

“Before we bring somebody on campus, they have to be serious people,” ... “And they have to be serious about us. And there has to have been Zooms, enough phone calls and communications. We're just serious people. We need to bring just serious people in here. Their list of schools, how they've structured visits, how they're handling our conversations, we take that into account before we waste our time, or not waste our time, with certain types of players.”​

​

Hurley has said numerous times over the past couple of months that the goal isn’t to build an all-star team. It is to build a championship team. He’s done it two years in a row now and “three-peat” comes out of his mouth quite often.​

​

“It's people that are either going to fit us or not,”... “There's plenty of transfer portal players that that have a history of not helping their programs max out winning. And that's what we're trying to stay away from, because we are really desperate to win. … We're not bringing in seven players from the portal and throwing them against the wall and seeing what sticks. We're strategic that way.”​

 

[Inyatkin]

You said it's better to keep the pressure off, I think that's ridiculous. This program thrives on lofty expectations.

People still talk about things like "keeping the pressure off" as if we're some plucky up-and-comer, not the two-time defending national champions. There's going to be pressure, and it's fine.

 

[DRBackup]

Why do you want to be #1 so bad. Better to keep the pressure off. Hurley says this might be our most talented team, but definitely not the most experienced or #1.

LOL!!! There is no "keeping the pressure off" for the two time defending champs.

 

[jibsey]

“We are really desperate to win…”. I wonder if Danny could coach the Yankees and the Giants.

 

[gtcam]

Honestly if Jackson was on this team, we would have had an even better season... undefeated...? He would have been an all American and drafted high in the first round.

Watching AJ play defense in the NBA lately doesn't translate into a high 1st round pick. Athletic but completely at a loss on assignments. He stood out defensively his final year at UConn but it's a different game in the NBA. I'm not saying he won't get it but not sure if an NBA team will give him the time needed - maybe some G League exposure would help. He's got a lot of things to work on this off season. The potential is there but he is a hard fit.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Watching AJ play defense in the NBA lately doesn't translate into a high 1st round pick. Athletic but completely at a loss on assignments. He stood out defensively his final year at UConn but it's a different game in the NBA. I'm not saying he won't get it but not sure if an NBA team will give him the time needed - maybe some G League exposure would help. He's got a lot of things to work on this off season. The potential is there but he is a hard fit.

With all due respect, i dont think you're right on this one. First of all, Andre is basically tasked with being the only perimeter defender on his team at any given time. His job is to be a disruptor. His teammates miss (seemingly) dozens of rotations per game making it look like Andre screwed up when in fact someone was caught looking at the ball instead of moving over 5 feet to stay between the 2 players that need to be defended. That team is about as poorly coached as you can be on both sides of the ball, and it stands out more recently with Giannis out. He and Lopez could usually make up for a lot of defensive mistakes (usually by Dame or Beasley, 2 of the worst defenders in the league) just by being huge and near the rim, which is how a lot of NBA teams run their defense, and how we ran ours to a degree (funnel to the rim).

The way their roster is built now, with Lillard instead of Holiday, Andre has to be an energy , and all the teams defense on the perimeter, and he's done a great job of that, especially considering he's a rookie. There aren't many rookies that pick up a teams defense in their first season. AJ has done as good a job as any rookie in the league on the perimeter.

 

[3rdbass]

With all due respect, i dont think you're right on this one. First of all, Andre is basically tasked with being the only perimeter defender on his team at any given time. His job is to be a disruptor. His teammates miss (seemingly) dozens of rotations per game making it look like Andre screwed up when in fact someone was caught looking at the ball instead of moving over 5 feet to stay between the 2 players that need to be defended. That team is about as poorly coached as you can be on both sides of the ball, and it stands out more recently with Giannis out. He and Lopez could usually make up for a lot of defensive mistakes (usually by Dame or Beasley, 2 of the worst defenders in the league) just by being huge and near the rim, which is how a lot of NBA teams run their defense, and how we ran ours to a degree (funnel to the rim).

The way their roster is built now, with Lilliard instead of Holiday, Andre has to be an energy and defense guy on the perimeter, and he's done a great job of that, especially considering he's a rookie. There aren't many rookies that pick up a teams defense in their first season. AJ has done as good a job as any rookie in the league on the perimeter.

Yeah I was a critical of Andre's defense while at UConn at times. He didn't always play the best man on the ball defense and preferred to block shots from behind or try for highlight reel steals and then dunks on the other side but he has improved a lot starting at the end of his UConn career into the NBA. His defense I agree has been much approved in the NBA so not sure why that poster had his defense as being an issue due to missed assignments. Andre is one of the few Bucks who play D on that team sadly. Now I agree with the original post that Andre wouldn't of just been an easy 1rst round lock unless he improved his offensive skills which sadly is still his Achilles heel. Though his outside shot has gotten better he doesn't create off the dribble his own shot much if at all.

 

[CL82]

When you look at what we're losing on paper, it seems pretty daunting. Of course, then you look at what we're bringing in and there's a whole lot of reason to be hopeful.

 

[JMick]

Last year we had 8 former top 100 guys (4 were freshmen) plus 5th years Spencer and Newton. This year we have 10(!) former top 100 guys (3 freshmen) plus 2x All-Conference WCC Jr Mahaney. The guys that end up 6th-11th on this roster are going to be GOOD. The season Talking Heads narrative is that UConn's bench will be better than a lot of teams starting lineup.

Practice is going to be insane

 

[Iluvsuebird]

If Singare comes back stronger he can play those minutes at Center when both bigs are in foul trouble and allow us not to move a PF into that position which we had to do out of necessity mostly last year.

Alex would play some center next year. He is a matchup nightmare offensively and as he showed in the Purdue game, he got so much better defending bigs.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

When you look at what we're losing on paper, it seems pretty daunting. Of course, then you look at what we're bringing in and there's a whole lot of reason to be hopeful.
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2 years ago we lost a lot too. Starting 2 guard, starting center and 2 key bench pieces. And the result was we were better!!! Just stating facts.